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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2018 Nominees

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 nominees are in! Of the 19 nominees, nine are first-timers, including Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead, who are both eligible for the first time this year.

To become eligible, artists must first meet the following criteria:

First record must have been released at least 25 years ago

Demonstration of "unquestionable musical excellence and talent"

Inductees must have achieved "significant impact on the development, evolution and preservation of rock & roll"

So, who will be following in the footsteps of this year’s inductees (Pearl Jam, Journey, Yes, TupacShakur, Joan Baez, and Electric Light Orchestra)? You’ll have to wait until December for the official announcement to know for sure, but in the meantime, you can voice your own opinion by voting here between October 5 and December 5.

The complete Class of 2018 nominees:

Bon Jovi

Kate Bush*

The Cars

Depeche Mode

Dire Straits*

Eurythmics*

J. Geils Band

Judas Priest*

LL Cool J

MC5

The Meters

Moody Blues*

Radiohead*^

Rage Against the Machine*^

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Nina Simone*

Sister Rosetta Tharpe*

Link Wray

The Zombies

* Denotes first-time candidate

^ Denotes newly eligible artist

So, how does this all work?

According to the website, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s nominating committee first selects a pool of artists. Then, ballots are sent to over 900 historians, artists (including all living Rock and Roll Hall of Famers), and others in the music industry. Fans can also cast their votes. Once votes are counted, the top five performers become that year’s induction class.